Process of uniting metals



Oct.- 7, 1924. 1,511,196

J. B. AUSTIN PROCESS OF UNITING METALS Filed Aug. 18, 1924 ENV TOR my M4254@ Patented Oct. 7, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. AUSTIN, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

PROCESS 0F UNITING METALS.

.Application led August 18, 1924. Serial No. 732,802.

To aZZ wlw/m. t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN B. AUSTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1615 Collamer Street Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Uniting Metals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of uniting non-ferrous to ferrous metals. More particularly it relates to a new and improved process of uniting a copper bond to the base and web of a steel railway rail. It also relates to a process of uniting copper to each of two or more adjacent steel surfaces disposed at angles to each other. It further relates to a new and improved apparatus adapted to form about the copper portion of a copper bond'a molten metal retalning wall adapted to cooperate with a rail base and web to retain 'Inolten metal in contact with the rail base and web and with the copper of the bond while the weld is being made.

Prior to myinvention it was not the practice, so far as? I am aware, to unite copper bonds directly,y to the web of a rail by a iiame without seriously .weakening a portion of the web, due to the melting of a portion thereof. Although it was desirable to attach mine bonds to thefrail webs, because of the protection thus aforded the bond and because of the welding diiculties encountered in bonding to wet and rusty rail bases, it was considered unsafeto bond to the web of the rail by any bonding process employing a heating fiame because of the fear of resulting seriois injury to and weakening of the rail we I have discovered, however, that copper bonds can be directly welded to the web of a rail'by means of a heating iame without any ysubstantial melting vof or noticeable injury to the rail: I have also discovered that a copper bond ma be quickly and easily united by means o a heating flame to both the baseand web of a wet and/or rusty rail. Briefly stated my improved process for practicing my discoveries comprises formlng a molten metal retaining wall about a portion ofthe copper of a bond on a -rail base, melting copper onto the rail base and retaining it b the said retainin wall and maintaining t e copper in a mo ten condition until 1t has united' with the rail base, rail web and the copper of the bond. A device suitable for practicing my invention may7 be`y described briefly as comprising a mold portion formed to cooperate with the rail base and web in providing walls to retain molten metal on the base of a rail adjacent to the rail web and thru one wall of which a portion of the copper of the bond extends.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention to those skilled in the art, I have elected I to describe hereinafter my new and 1m-v as the devices coming within the scope of my invention, will, no doubt,occur to others. In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification Fig. 1l isa perspective view of a rail and bond, assembled with a mold portion embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is top plan view of the mold portion of Fig. 1. .y

Fig. 3 is an end elevation on line '3-3 of Fi 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation on line 4 4 of Fig. 2, `and f t t i.5isa ra ena oppanvlew,

artlf in section, l(lfla mill7 and a modified ibrm of mold portion embodying my invention.

In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings numeral 1 designates a fragmentary part of a mine rail with a bond 2 positioned adjacent to the base and web in position to be united to the rail base and Web, and 3 in dicates as an entirety a. device for forming with the base and web of the rail a molten metal retaining mold cavity about the end 4 of the copper of the bond 2.

The device or mold portion 3 as shown in of coppe theVB rail and' substantially to engage with the web 1b of the rail, and havin-g in its lower surface with a recess 6 of substantially the size and configuration of the end 4 of the bond 2 for use therewith. A rib 7 acts as a stop against which a suitable flange or rib 4a on the bond may engage, thereby positioning a portion of the copper of the bond in the device 3 on the rail and preventing the escape of molten metal around this part of the casting cavity thus formed. Connected to member 5 is a mold' cavity forming member 8,preferably composed of carbon and likewise adapted to rest on thev base of the rail and to engage with the web of the rail. This member 5 is preferably cut away as at 8a to bound a portion of a mold cavity or recess 9, which is open to the recess 6 and other walls of which cavity are formed by the web and base of the rail, so as to ret-ain molten metal in contact with the rail web and base and with the copper of the bond projecting thereinto. This mold cavity is preferably open at the top so that molten metal may be brought into the recess 9 through the top thereof and maintained molten therein by a heating flame directed there-into. Other walls of the mold cavity or recess 9 are formed by the rail web and base when the mold port-ion 3 is in assembled position on to a rail base.

The members 5 land 8 may be connected together in any suitable manner. in this instance they are connected by a thin' sheet metal band l0 which runs along one end and one side of member 8 and one end of member 5 and carries pins 11 which project into suitable openings 11a in the member 8 and also carries a screw 12 which engages with a tapped opening 12a in member 5. A pin 13 carried by member 5 and projecting into a recess 13a in the member 8 serves to position members 5 and 8 atl their junction. Mold portion 3 may be held in position on a rail by any suitable means, including a clamp or weight or even welding a metal part thereof to the rail.

Tn practicing my invention on a mine rail T rst remove the mud and any other foreign material from the base of the rail, without, however, taking pains to dry the rail base or remove rust, except large particles which may be knocked off' readily. Then T position a bond 2 with the outstanding rib lia contacting with the rib 7 on the member 5. The bond 2 and mold portion 3 are then placed on the rail base adjacent to the rail web and retained in such position in any suitable manner. This may be done, for example, by means of a clamp or mold holder where said mold portion is detachably connected to the copper of the bond, and if it is a mold so secured tothe copper bond head as to be substantially permanent therewith, that is, the mold portion is carried by the bond head and is made of metal,

provided l rail without directing the flame on Leiniee f it may be welded or clamped tothe rail as desired.

Copper may be melted by a suitable heating flame into the mold cavity and additional heat supplied to the copper by directin the flame 0n the molten copper on the the steel and maintaining the dame thereon until the molten copper unites to a portion o'- the copper of the bond and to the base and web of the rail. For this purpose any suitable heating llame may be used such as the elec- 'tric are or a gas flame, for example, oxyacetylene. With the electric arc either a carbon or a metal electrode may be used. The union of the copper to the rail is denoted by the wetting of the rail by the copper. This wet-ting action is indicated by the formation of a concave meniscus by the copper adjacent to the rail.

While the above process may be carried out by melting pure copper into the mold cavity, it is preferable to employ with the copper a deoxidizing agent, such as silicon in amount of about 0.25%. By employing a deoxidizing agent, such as silicon, the process may be carried out in less time and probably at a lower temperature than when no deoxidizing agent is employed.

Successive increments of copper may be melted into the mold cavity from the copper electrode and the arc maintained on said molten copper until suflicient copper has been melted into said mold cavity and the copper therein has united with a portion of the copper of the bond and with the base and web of the rail. The uniting of the copper to the steel will be indicated by the wetting of the steel by the copper,V By employing as an electrode copper having a deoXidizing agent alloyed therewith, the said agent is melted in uniform relation to the copper and is distributed uniformly throughout the bath of molten copper. By the use of said deoxidizing reagent, this process may be carried out in less time and probably at a lower temperature than would be possible without the use of said reagent. Tt will be noted that in practicing my invention with the use of the metal are, employing a copper electrode containing silicon, the uniting of the copper to the steel is ed'ected substantially simultaneously with the completion of the melting of the copper into the mold cavity.

Tt will be noted that if the rail is substantially dry and reasonably free from rust or similar substances, a clean, non-porous junction will be formed between the copper and substantially all the rail surface in contact therewith. Tf, however, the rail be wet or covered with a substantial coating of rust or similar substances, or both wet and covered with said substances as is often the Case inthe mines, the portion of the rail base interiorly of the mold cavity may not be completely united with the copper throughout the contacting surfaces thereof, especially if the metal arc process is employed. The portion of the rail web interiorly of the mold cavity, however, will be united with the copper throughout substant-ially the-ir contacting surfaces. It will be noted, however, that where the weld of the copper to the steel is principally disposed along the contacting surfaces of the copper and the web portion of the rail interiorly of the mold, the area of welded contact is sufficiently large to provide sufficient mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. In the mines it is preferred to employ the metal arc in carrying out this process. In this case a copper rodmay be used as an electrode. Preferably the deoxidizing agent is added simultaneously with the melting of the copper and thus there may be employed a copper electrode containing about 0.25% silicon distributed substantially uniformly therein.

In Figure 5 I have shown a slightly different form of mold portion applied to the fragment of a rail, the sectioned part ofthe figure indicating the web after the head of therail has been removed. This mold portion 15 consists of a bond positioning member 16 preferably composed of copper having a recess 17 with a rib 18l projecting therein to engage behind the rib 4a of the copper portion L a bond end. This member 16 is adapted to rest on the rail base. 1a. At either end thereof I provide molten metal retaining wall members 19 which are preferably composed of carbon and which reston the rail b-ase and engage with the rail web as shown.

A sheet shaped metal band 20 is bent to engage the top outer sides of members 16 and 19 and carries screws 21 which secure these members in the assembled position shown in this figure.

When mold portion 15 rests on a rail base and against a rail web a molten metal retaining mold cavity 22 is formed, the rail base and web constituting certain walls thereof and the members 16, 19 and the copper of a bond comprising the remaining walls thereof. The mold portion is thus open at its top to receive molten metal and to permit a heating flame to be directed onto mo ten metal in. the mold cavity; and is open at its side and bottom to expose the rail web and baseto vcontact with the molten metal.

It will be understood that under certain conditions the members 19 and 20 may be entirely omitted, retaining only the member 16 to serve as a molten metal retainer inconjunction with the rail base and web, so that the metal may be melted between this member 16 and the web of the rail in contact with the rail base. The mold portion 15 shown in this figure may be used in practicing my invention in substantially the same manner as has been previously described in connection with molds shown in' Figs. 1 to- 4. A

It will thus be seen that my process may be carried out without injury to the rail or any deleterious effect upon the rail. As a matter o-f fact, a bond attached by my process does not injure the rail at the point of attachment of the bond and there is no gouging of the steel of the rail or creation of injurious effects thereon or therein by the electric arc, there being no occasion for the arc to come into direct contact with the steel of the rail either on the base or on the web.

kWhile I have shown and described my process as applied to the uniting of a portion of the copper of a bond to the base and web of a rail Ido not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the process specifically thereto, but I wish the scope of my invention to include the uniting of a non-ferrous article to two angularly disposed surfaces of a ferrous article, and while for the sake v ofubrevity the claims specify the word rail, I intend such word to be comprehensive of any two angularly disposed non-ferrous surfaces, and the word copper in the claims to be comprehensive of any non-ferrous metal used for the purpose of conducting electricity.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular form of apparatus shown and described, and, the particular procedure set forth, are presented for purposes of eXplanation and illustration and that various modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be made without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The process of uniting a copper bond to a steel rail which comprises forming a suitable mold cavity about a portion of the copper of a bond adjacent to a rail, of which mold cavity the base and web of the rail form mold walls, respectively, melting coppe-r into the mold cavity, directing a heating flame on the molten copper within said cavity without directing the flame on the steel and maintaining the copper molten until the gases are substantially eliminated and the copper unites with the steel of the web of the rail and the bond and forms a Substantially non-porous junction between the copperand the steel.

2. The process of uniting a copper bond to a steel rail which comprises forming a suitable mold cavity about a portion of the cop-per of a bond adjacent to a rail, of which mold cavity the base and, web of the rail form mold walls, respectively, melting co per from a metal arc electrode into the mo d cavity in the =presence of a suitable deoxidizer, directing said arc on the molten copper Within said cavity without directing it on the steel and maintaining the copper molten until the gases are substantially eliminated and the copper unites with the steel of the web of the rail and the bond and forms a substantially non-porous junction between -the copper and the steel.

3. The process of uniting -a copper bond to a steel rail which comprises forming a suitable mold cavity about a portion of the copper of a bond adjacent to a rail, of which mold cavity the base and web of the rail form mold walls, respectively, melting copper into the mold cavity, directing a heating flame on the molten copper Within said cavity without directing the flame on the steel and maintaining the copper molten until the copper unites with the base and web of the rail and the 'bond and forms a substantially non-porous junction between the copper and the steel.

4:. The process of uniting a copper bond to a Steel rail which comprises forming a suitable mold cavity about a portion of the copper of a bond adjacent to a rail, of which mold cavity the base and web of the rail form mold walls, respectively, melting copper Jfrom ametal arc electrode into the mold cavity in the prese-nce of a suitable deoxidizer, directing said arc on the molten copper within said cavity Without directing it on the steel and maintaining the copper molten until the copper unites with the base and web of the rail and the bond and forms a substantially non-porous junction between the copper andv the steel.

5. The process of uniting a copper bon to a steel rail which comprises forming a suitable mold cavity aboutka portion of the,

copper of a bond of which base and web of the rail form mold Walls respectively, melting copper into the said mold cavity into Contact with the rail base and rail web, and heating the molten copper without melting a substantial amount of the rail until the copper unites with the steel of the web of the rail and with the bond.

6. The process of uniting a copper bond to a steel rail which comprises forming a suitable mold cavity about a portion of the copper of a bond of which mold cavity the base and web of the rail form mold Walls respectively, melting copper into the said mold cavity into contact with the rail base and rail web, directingl a. heating flame on the molten copper in t e mold cavity without directing the llame on the rail, and heating the molten copper by the flame until the copper unites with the steel of the web of the rail and with the copper of the bond.

7. The process of uniting a copper bond to a Steel rail which comprises forming a suitable mold cavity about al portion of the copper Yof. a bond of which mold cavity the base and web of the rail form mold walls respectively, melting copper into the said mold cavity intov contact with the rail base and rail web, directing a heating alne on the molten copper in the mold cavity Without directing the flame on the rail and without melting a substantial amount of the rail, and heating the molten copper by the ame until the copper unites with web of the rail and with the copper of the bond.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my d signature this 14th day of August, 1924.

JOHN B. AUSTIN.

moldv cavity the the steel of the Y 

